At A Glance

31 May 1996 at a glance

Day of the week
31 May 1996 was a Friday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Tha Crossroads” by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
Top Film of 1996
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1996 was Independence Day.
Bestselling Novel of 1996
“The Runaway Jury” by John Grisham was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1996.
Top-Rated TV Show
“ER” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1996–97 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 May is Gemini.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 May 1996 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 May 1996 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 31 May

  • 1986 The Ariane 2 rocket is launched on its maiden flight, carrying Intelsat VA F-14, but the mission ends in failure.
  • 1991 Bicesse Accords in Angola lay out a transition to multi-party democracy under the supervision of the United Nations' UNAVEM II peacekeeping mission.
  • 1997 The Confederation Bridge opens, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick.
  • 2003 Air France retires its fleet of Concorde aircraft.
  • 2005 Vanity Fair reveals that Mark Felt was "Deep Throat".

Famous people born on May 31

  • Clint Eastwood, American actor, director, musician, and producer (born 1930)
  • Gable Steveson, American wrestler (born 2000)
  • Colin Farrell, Irish actor (born 1976)
  • Brooke Shields, American model, actress, and producer (born 1965)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1996 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1996 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • April 6 – Major League Soccer begins its inaugural season with a match between the San Jose Clash and D.C. United in San Jose, California.
  • April 29 – The Broadway hit musical Rent opens at the Nederlander Theatre.
  • June 21 – Walt Disney Pictures' 34th feature film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, considered to be one of the studio's darkest animated films, is released to positive reviews and commercial success.

Life in the US in 1996

President

Bill Clinton

Gas (per gallon)

$1.22

Loaf of Bread

$0.97

Average House

$140,000

Weekly Wage

$490

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1990s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →